wow, this world is getting out of control. When my first son played kids' sports about 10 years ago, it was competitive but the goal was to have fun. Fast forward to 10 years later and the whole "fun" part has seemed to be forgotten. It now is about the parents, many of whom seem to take coaching jobs just so their children can play all the time and be "superstars!"One of the baseball teams in my son's league had 11 coaches! guess which 11 kids started every single game. Yup...you guessed it.And now youth football, which I can't keep quiet about any more. What is going on in Southern Lehigh is literally like a spy movie. Secret meetings, hidden files, coercive tactics, espionage. I am absolutely certain the entire district is going to get a major black eye from these shenanigans.I really can't take it any more. Kids are getting picked on at school. Parents are holding secret meetings and creating powerpoint presentations to show to their followers about how to "disrupt a meeting effectively" and throw it off track..conspiring to "ruin the existing youth football league."Summary... a group of local businessmen were basically not happy that the kids league was not playing to win, at any price. The would make comments at meetings such as "show me where the rulebook says we aren't supposed to play to win." And then when the beginner players would be put in, these coaches would protest and walk off the field. They would even say things to the parents like "this is what happens when you put in those kids!"Keep in mind...we are talking about 7,8,and 9 year old children!!!!!So now, those 3 business men have started their own team to try to pull kids away from the southern lehigh team. They originally wanted to call it the REBELS, but they decided on the Storm.Parents down here are so confused. Kids are teasing other kids that they are going to be on the southern lehigh loser team, and they won't ever win a game.All the while, the parents who are hearing about this new storm team don't know about what went on behind the scenes.One of the businessmen who started storm accidentally left their "secret file" laying behind at the southern lehigh football youth football board meeting. This file contained all the notes and ideas from their secret meetings. Personal data on various kids, and some very troubling notes and ideas.The most offensive? One of the Storm founders apparently works at a big company in phladelphia called mckinsey and company. he had a power point presentation made to show the other storm members. This presentation (with a mckinsey header) was all about and titled "how to disrupt meeting." It gave pointers to the storm members on how to throw meetings off track and how to basically ruin the southern lehigh youth board meetings!This 200 page secret file will probably be made public soon, but the person who is holding it, feels he will be stooping to their level be exposing it. What do you think? The stuff in the file really shows the Storm's true colors. I think it needs to come out.(including the names of the creators.)Bottom line - kids are suffering, the community is spit and in chaos, and all these jackasses seem to have forgotten that this is about the kids, all of whom just want to play a game and have fun!had to get that rant off my chest. thanks for listening.welcome to the new era of kids sports in southern lehigh. It really is time to stop the shenanigans.

Funny post. You seem so taken aback and so aghast at what's going on that it's almost believable. Would you possibly be transparent enough to share any affiliation with the existing football club other than as just a parent (perhaps a husband who is an officer of said club)? And when you found personal data on children in a private file, I am curious as to why you would read it? And the person holding the "secret" (funny how you use that word since you just got done saying you found someone else's property and did not return it) file threatening to make it public should know that there's not much difference in the law between finding something and not returning it and stealing it. In fact, if these guys are so sneaky and nefarious, I have a hard time thinking they lost it but in fact it was stolen. Hmmmmm. Was it you soccermom?

wow, this world is getting out of control. When my first son played kids' sports about 10 years ago, it was competitive but the goal was to have fun. Fast forward to 10 years later and the whole "fun" part has seemed to be forgotten. It now is about the parents, many of whom seem to take coaching jobs just so their children can play all the time and be "superstars!"One of the baseball teams in my son's league had 11 coaches! guess which 11 kids started every single game. Yup...you guessed it.And now youth football, which I can't keep quiet about any more. What is going on in Southern Lehigh is literally like a spy movie. Secret meetings, hidden files, coercive tactics, espionage. I am absolutely certain the entire district is going to get a major black eye from these shenanigans.I really can't take it any more. Kids are getting picked on at school. Parents are holding secret meetings and creating powerpoint presentations to show to their followers about how to "disrupt a meeting effectively" and throw it off track..conspiring to "ruin the existing youth football league."Summary... a group of local businessmen were basically not happy that the kids league was not playing to win, at any price. The would make comments at meetings such as "show me where the rulebook says we aren't supposed to play to win." And then when the beginner players would be put in, these coaches would protest and walk off the field. They would even say things to the parents like "this is what happens when you put in those kids!"Keep in mind...we are talking about 7,8,and 9 year old children!!!!!So now, those 3 business men have started their own team to try to pull kids away from the southern lehigh team. They originally wanted to call it the REBELS, but they decided on the Storm.Parents down here are so confused. Kids are teasing other kids that they are going to be on the southern lehigh loser team, and they won't ever win a game.All the while, the parents who are hearing about this new storm team don't know about what went on behind the scenes.One of the businessmen who started storm accidentally left their "secret file" laying behind at the southern lehigh football youth football board meeting. This file contained all the notes and ideas from their secret meetings. Personal data on various kids, and some very troubling notes and ideas.The most offensive? One of the Storm founders apparently works at a big company in phladelphia called mckinsey and company. he had a power point presentation made to show the other storm members. This presentation (with a mckinsey header) was all about and titled "how to disrupt meeting." It gave pointers to the storm members on how to throw meetings off track and how to basically ruin the southern lehigh youth board meetings!This 200 page secret file will probably be made public soon, but the person who is holding it, feels he will be stooping to their level be exposing it. What do you think? The stuff in the file really shows the Storm's true colors. I think it needs to come out.(including the names of the creators.)Bottom line - kids are suffering, the community is spit and in chaos, and all these jackasses seem to have forgotten that this is about the kids, all of whom just want to play a game and have fun!had to get that rant off my chest. thanks for listening.welcome to the new era of kids sports in southern lehigh. It really is time to stop the shenanigans.

very well said , i think we all know who these idiots are and should be exposed for their petty ways.... i am a southern lehigh father and love to watch my two boys compete in all sports but its difficult when all they (the coaches , that is ) do is play their own kids , who are not all that great anyway and have to win !!! time to out the idiots

i think they all should be exposed for the frauds they truely are , they are crooked !! they all talk a mean game but when it comes down to it , they just let you down . i love to watch my boys play baseball and football but when you have the same coach for both , who practices the philosophy of "win at all costs" , some kids get lost in the fray.I say out them , most everyone knows who they are any way

Funny how you can judge without knowing all the facts. Funny how many of the childrn who did not play last year are now playing for the storm. Funny how many children who played for other leagues in the community are coming back to play for a local football league. Funny how many parents who would not allow their children play for the "true" SL football team came back to play for the "improved" football team. Funny how SLYFA implemented changes only after the Storm Football league began. Perhaps the shenanigans are played by SLYFA. The Storm parents want to make things better and more safe for the kids. Perhaps this is why the Storm roster is larger than SLYFA. Just something to think about.

Funny how you can judge without knowing all the facts. Funny how many of the childrn who did not play last year are now playing for the storm. Funny how many children who played for other leagues in the community are coming back to play for a local football league. Funny how many parents who would not allow their children play for the "true" SL football team came back to play for the "improved" football team. Funny how SLYFA implemented changes only after the Storm Football league began. Perhaps the shenanigans are played by SLYFA. The Storm parents want to make things better and more safe for the kids. Perhaps this is why the Storm roster is larger than SLYFA. Just something to think about.

Here is something to think about Proud Storm Parent- why is it that not all of your kids play? Only the good, talented kids play, the rest that are only ok are just bench warmers at best. My son played for SLYFA before this split & was coached by a bunch of children themselves- all about winning & NOTHING about teaching the kids how to play the game & HAVE FUN!! Last I checked this is YOUTH football not high school or college! Funny how my son left that season with a sour taste in his mouth. Glad that we didn't join Storm!! As for the shenanigans- SLYFA implemented changes way before the Storm was even established. Perhaps the Storm was created as a means to make certain SLYFA board members suffer. Real mature boys at the Storm. I certainly hope my son doesn't play the storm- actually he won't b/c I will make sure of it. Funny how many children joined the storm b/c their friends joined not b/c they would be playing for a "true" & "improved" league... really??

If you can drink, get drunk, cheat on your wife and beat some dudes up in the back of the local XXXX, then dump him into the back of a pickup....your part of the QMFA infamous "WE wish we were somebody" losers! These dudes have no lives....football is the only thing they "think" they know. Gotta feel sorry for them....esp. T.W......esp after that creepy accident, really messed him up

As a father that will be moving my family to the area, their is a chance one or both of my boys will play football someday. How do I decide what team to sign them up for? And please leave the politics out, I just want the facts I need to make a decision.

Why do people use initials. If you have something to say spell the name out. If you are afraid, then stay off of here. Storm was opened with 3 businessmen. Why don't you name them. You know who they are.

I am also a proud parent of the storm. and I also see kids playing who are not starters. I think the storm practices everyone to be a starter. Why play if you do not want to win? losing all the time breaks your spirit, same as wrestling. win or lose these kids are having fun. They practice hard because they want to be the best. I have seen other coaches during some of the games tougher on their kids .And the storm parents not only stay for their son or daughters particular weight team but stay to cheer on others.I think we have an awesome group!!!!!We choose this league and it does not look like we are leaving to go to southern lehigh,but your comming tous and we are growing!!! and agree ,I think theres no difference between keeping it and steeling those files!!!!!

I think its a bit absurd that grown folks can't collectively come together and work out differences, at the very least, for the sake of your children. Unfortunately, this is the state of affairs of society today something I adamantly raise my children to resist. Contrary to what some parents might believe, I teach me children to play to WIN. Not by any means necessary, but by striving for excellence, staying focused on the end game and attaining your goals. I teach them this, not just in sports but in life. To me its a consistent and blanketing thought process that needs to be instilled in our youth. IMO...your mileage may vary. Competition is a good thing...its what life is all about. Can you have fun and be competitive? Absolutely! I think if both leagues could come to terms and combine our coaching abilities as well as our children, it would make for a dynamic and strong team. Will this ever happen? Good question. Be well everyone. ;0)

My son plays for Storm football. He is not the best player on the team and has some mild special needs. His coaches have been excellent. He plays every game; honestly even games where he may have contributed to the team losing. So, relative to our experience it has been nothing but positive. His coaches have helped to teach him discipline, how to be a part of a team and how to handle winning and losing with pride. I cannot speak to the split and I have never heard any of the parent-leaders speak poorly of the other league in the community.

I am a coach with SLYFA. I don't have a child on the team I coach. Objectivity is paramount to me. I was not part of the split. We have a great program at SLYFA. Our kids have minimum play requirements for each game. Our children have learn a great deal over the last couple years.1. They have learned teamwork. This is the most important in my book. In life we have to learn how to work with many different kinds of people. Football is the best sport to learn TEAMWORK.2. Our children have learned how to deal with adversity. We had to rebuild after the split and we have gotten stronger because of it. Stronger now then ever.3. Finally the children have learn FOOTBALL. We teach our kids the same offense as the middle school and high school.Our children will play together in middle school and high school. It is a shame that it is so divided in our community.JJ

This thread started over 2.5 years ago - that is remarkable. Sad, but remarkable.

The Storm was created purely and simply because we had a different vision of what a dedicated youth football program ought to look like. In three years, it has grown dramatically - all while we only accept SL kids. Clearly there was demand for an experience like this or we wouldn't have the numbers we have today.

We have gone out of our way to not engage in any of the public mud slinging. This is in spite of the fact that since our founding we have been on the receiving end of a defamation website (we had to sue to bring that one down), the original blog post listed above (my employer made it into that one), multiple thumbs down entries in Penny Power, a presentation to the Suburban League (at this point SLYFA was in the LVYFL) asking them not to grant us entry into the league, and protest to the School Board regarding our use of school facilities & our desire to buy the Freshman team a scoreboard. If you ever wondered where some of the lingering hard feelings come from - it might be related to these events.

Now the ideal would be that this all ends and our town (which is a tiny AAA school) fielded one team and one program. We have explored this at length twice: Once before the second mass exodus from SLYFA in 2011, and once again early this year. In both cases the conversations did not go much past exploratory because there was limited interest in addressing two of our biggest differences - residency requirements (SLYFA takes anyone, we are exclusively for Southern Lehigh)as well as governance (in particular by-laws - we would prefer a limited set of by laws with all parents having voting rights provided they have a child in the program;; SLYFA by laws are more restrictive and graduated in terms of when a parent can participate as a general member and board voting).

I suspect the reality is these programs will remain apart. Like it or not, this means we will be compared annually. In a positive sense, this raises the bar for each program to put forth the best experience possible for the kids and families.

We enjoy this challenge and the responsibility we have to the community to grow tomorrow's spartans today.

My hope is that in the foreseeable future we wish the members of each club well, and just let this go.

Why do people use initials. If you have something to say spell the name out. If you are afraid, then stay off of here. Storm was opened with 3 businessmen. Why don't you name them. You know who they are.

Watcher (do you have a name?)- The Storm was founded by four families. All Southern Lehigh based. I am the President of the Storm and one of the founding members. We have never hid who the founders are or why we have created the organization. Please feel free to reach out to me at the club's address - [email protected] if you would like any further information. As a reminder, you would need to be a resident of Southern Lehigh School District for your child to be eligible for the Storm. We don't develop future hornets, falcons, canaries, huskies, or pirates.

Just to make it clear, we had 100 boys playing football this year. Out of 100 boys we had 5 from outside of Southern Lehigh. SLYFA is a strong Southern Lehigh program. We don't look for kids outside the area. However, if a child can't make weight at Q-town they come to us. I see no issue with that. I honestly wish both programs were together. If that is not possible I wish the storm well. The kids will have to play together soon anyway.

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